BA (Hons) Advertising and Design

“Advertising is the ability to sense, interpret…to put the very heart throbs of a business into type, paper and ink” Leo Burnett

The course prepares students for a career in creative advertising and encourages creative thinking too. Taught by a team of advertising practitioners and academic theorists, students are equipped with contemporary knowledge to be able to understand the theoretical and practical aspects of every level of the advertising industry from planning to creative output and presentation.

Studies are underpinned by contextual studies – design theory and live briefs from industry as well as student competition entry alongside an individual study of student self-initiated briefs. They are challenged over a wide range of media such as print, TV, ambient, guerrilla, web, viral and social networks such as Twitter and Facebook. In the first year the course begins with a program of ideas/concept generation projects, specific advertising briefs are introduced towards the end of semester one. In semester two projects expanded to include typography, layout and computer skills. In the second year students understand that, ‘the idea’ is king and the emphasis shifts to developing the sound advertising strategies that are the foundation for those ideas. Copywriting and graphic design for advertising forms a significant part of the teaching. Students also have the opportunity to acquire photographic, video and sound editing skills.

Advertising is, and always has been, one of the most dynamic and exciting careers creative students can choose and with the explosion of new media, such as the Internet, the industry requires talented and committed people as never before.